


Foxglove

by suzuyaaaaa



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: :re universe, Crushes, F/F, Fluff, My First Work in This Fandom, One-Sided Attraction, POV Female Character, POV Third Person Limited, Platonic Kissing, Reunited and It Feels So Good, florist!touka, pining touka, that's what touka thinks!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:32:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7071172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzuyaaaaa/pseuds/suzuyaaaaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Touka owns a flower shop called :re in the middle of Tokyo a couple years after the Anteiku Raid. She never expected to meet the best friend she left behind again after so much silence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foxglove

**Author's Note:**

> i've been meaning to join ao3 for a few months sooo here i finally am with my first fic!! i hope to write a lot more soon, and hopefully u, the reader, enjoy this!! (pls excuse any typos, i have no idea how this works)
> 
> [hmu on my main tumblr](http://lilacgrowth.tumblr.com/) [or my tg one!](http://suzuyaaaaa.tumblr.com/)

Touka Kirishima finishes watering the flowers in the display shelves at the front of :re while watching the pedestrians on the sidewalk. Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, she sets the can down by a pot of roses and strides back over to the register. The shop doesn’t have too much business, so Touka usually has plenty of free time to relax while customers drift in and out. It’s the first day of spring, and the sakura trees outside her shop are finally blooming. The light shining through the windows tints the store gold, and Touka sighs as she relaxes back in her seat behind the counter, pulling out a novel she’s been meaning to start reading for a couple weeks.

Running a flower shop in the heart of Tokyo may not be ideal for some people, but Touka adores the idea of having a calm place in the midst of a whirlwind of wildness where nothing stops moving. In a flower shop, there is no reason to rush. The scents of all the plants and the pretty colors of petals compels people to take a breather and relax, even if it’s only for a minute. Plus, Touka loves taking care of her flowers. It's nice to feel like she's helping build something up to be beautiful and healthy rather than tearing it down to be sad and weak.

Touka barely finishes two pages of the first chapter of her book when the doorbell jingles. “Welcome to :re!” she calls out in her most cheerful voice, sweeping her pastel bangs behind her right ear. She doesn’t bother to look at the customer for very long before opting to gaze back down at the open book in her lap. After a couple minutes of silence, the squeaking of sneakers fills Touka’s ears, and she reluctantly shuts the book when the customer’s shadow casts itself over the counter. “What can I help you with?” Touka asks as she places the novel by the register. Her heart stops when her eyes meet the customer’s.

The woman pales momentarily before giving Touka a bright smile and adjusting the bandana holding back her hazelnut hair. She’s not just a woman, it has to be her. Everything about her is exactly the same but so different, too. Her face is so similar to what it looked like in high school, but now, her cheeks slope more because she’s lost all the baby fat around her cheekbones. Her smile is a little dim like she’s holding back from grinning all the way, and her eyes look darker compared to what Touka remembers. This woman is Yoriko, that much is clear... but something about her seems sadder. Her sweet Yoriko seems _much_ sadder.

“I’m looking for some flowers just for my apartment to brighten it up, but I don’t really know what would... heh, look nice, I guess?” Touka’s breath escapes her as Yoriko trips a bit over her words, her cheeks dusted a pale pink in embarrassment. “I-I mean, they’re all so pretty, so I can’t decide,” Yoriko continues. She giggles and allows her smile to widen, and Touka’s heart flutters involuntarily. She can’t believe that Yoriko is here, after two years of silence between them. Yoriko is alive and healthy and unharmed and Touka couldn’t be happier. She missed Yoriko more than words could ever say; she missed the cooking she couldn’t taste, the advice she always needed, the love she never worried would run out. She gave Yoriko up to keep her away from her dangerous world after the Anteiku raid, only providing the briefest explanation that she was a ghoul. She figured that would be enough to keep Yoriko away from even coming near someone that looked like her, but she’s standing before Touka now without a hint of fear in her eyes. Maybe Yoriko just blocked it out.

Touka doesn’t realize she’s staring until Yoriko’s smile turns into a soft frown, and the human waves her hand in front of Touka’s face. The ghoul snaps back into reality and feels her cheeks flush as she shakes her head. “Sorry, u-uh, you said you need help for your apartment, right?” Yoriko giggles again and nods, and Touka lets her hair fall over her right eye to try and help conceal her bright face.

“Yes, ma'am, I figured you know something since you work here.” Touka flushes even more at Yoriko’s teasing tone. She still has a sharp tongue, obviously.

“Call me T-” Touka begins before abruptly cutting herself off. Yoriko tilts her head slightly in confusion but still smiles gently. “Call me Chiyuki, miss. I’m too young to be a ma’am,” Touka quickly says, recovering from her slip-up smoothly. She couldn’t tell Yoriko her name, not after she worked so hard to remove herself from Yoriko’s life to keep her safe from harm. Screwing up now could ruin everything.

Yoriko holds out her hand for Touka to shake, and the ghoul wonders if Yoriko’s cheeks hurt from smiling for so long. “Then you can call me Yoriko! I’m not proper enough to be a miss!” Touka laughs and shakes Yoriko’s hand firmly. She notices the small waver in Yoriko’s smile and mentally slaps herself. She still notices everything about Yoriko, every breath and twitch. She hated having a crush in high school, but she hates having the same feelings for the same girl at the worst possible time even more. “I haven't had a girl shake my hand that tightly in a while, Chi-chan! You shake like my best friend used to.” Touka gulps and smiles sweetly while her heart skips a couple beats. “You look like her, too.”

Touka hums in reply as Yoriko drops her hand and turns to gaze back out at the array of flowers in the shop. “I suck at decorating, honestly. My mom picked out everything in my apartment for me,” Yoriko sighs. She leans back on her elbows on the counter and slides her feet out. Her chin drops to her chest in defeat, and Touka can't help but frown.

“You can ask me for advice, then, Yoriko-chan!” Touka exclaims suddenly. She clasps her hands together and grins excitedly when Yoriko’s browns meet her indigos. “Tell me about yourself and your place. I want you to have the best.”

 

Yoriko is still as lively as Touka remembers, maybe even moreso now, but that could just be because they haven’t spoken in forever. She treats Touka like they've known each other all their lives, which is the case with Touka and Yoriko but not with Chiyuki and Yoriko. She wants to be a chef still, a dream that Touka’s so glad that Yoriko hasn't given up on, and she works in a bakery down the street. Yoriko calls her Chi-chan in the most adorable voice in almost every sentence, and Touka’s heart sings with joy but also wilts with guilt at the lies that roll so easily off her tongue. She tells Yoriko about how Chiyuki used to live in Osaka, came to Tokyo to learn what life was like in the city, and decided to gather up all her fundings for school to instead open a flower shop. Touka has Chiyuki’s life engraved into every part of her being, and she's never felt extremely bad about telling others her so-called life. Yoriko is different, though. Yoriko isn't somebody Touka can lie to easily, not when the young girl knows so much about her.

“I should just invite you to pick out all my things, Chi-chan! These are so nice!” Yoriko declares as she sniffs her newly purchased sunflowers and foxglove, “Do you take care of these all by yourself?” Touka nods proudly as she grabs her favorite watering can decorated with rabbit stickers before heading over to the orchids. As the soil absorbs the water raining down over it, Touka glances through a curtain of pale hair at Yoriko admiring her flowers. Foxglove can be poisonous to rabbits according to Touka’s research about them. Touka loves rabbits, but in this case, Yoriko’s the bunny, and she's the foxglove. She’s deadly and harmful to Yoriko who’s so beautiful and dreamy and ambitious, and she needs to stay away to keep her safe. No matter how unlikely it seems that someone would discover Touka’s true identity and somehow connect Yoriko to her, she can’t stop herself from questioning the future. What if Yoriko is hurt because of her? What if Yoriko _dies_ because of her?

“Chi-chan?” Yoriko calls out inquisitively, head tilted in concern as Touka snaps back to attention, “I was wondering if I could... could I have your number?” Touka’s throat constricts as she registers Yoriko’s statement. Could they safely be friends? Of course they couldn't. Plus, Touka’s feelings would get in the way. She would probably break out into a love confession and permanently push Yoriko away.

Touka doesn't realize that she hasn't replied yet. She doesn't realize that her can has wandered away from one of the blue orchid pots and has started watering the shelf instead. Yoriko sets her flowers by the register on Touka’s long forgotten book, and she seems to float over to Touka who is too lost in her own worrisome thoughts. The ghoul doesn’t notice how Yoriko’s hands shake by her sides, instead noting the intensity of the girl’s gaze before staring down at her shoes. She’s racking through ways in her mind to turn Yoriko down kindly, and her heart burns as she does so. She doesn’t want to let Yoriko leave. She’s greedy and selfish and would rather lock Yoriko in :re forever than let her leave, but her desires come second when her best friend is involved. Yoriko’s rocking nervously back and forth on her heels which makes Touka’s heart race.

“Touka-chan?” Touka’s head flicks up instinctively, faster than it would’ve if she heard her pseudonym. _Fuck._ Yoriko smiles softly and brushes Touka’s bangs behind her ears, her touch setting the ghoul’s ears ablaze. “I knew it was you.”

Touka blinks back the tears suddenly biting her eyes, and Yoriko lowers her hands slowly while never letting go of Touka’s gaze. “Where have you been, Touka-chan?” The sadness in Yoriko’s voice makes Touka’s blood run cold. She finally stops watering the shelf and sets her can down as she tries to come up with a response. “Have you been eating well?” Touka freezes at Yoriko’s question. Why isn’t she terrified? Why isn’t she even angry? Yoriko obviously remembers that Touka isn’t human. Her eyes are dark and gleaming with worry as she reaches up to rub Touka’s shoulder reassuringly. “I want to make sure you’re doing well,” Yoriko continues as she gives Touka’s shoulder a light squeeze, “It doesn’t matter to me, you know.”

Touka’s cheeks burn as she and Yoriko’s eyes connect, and the human is telling the truth. Yoriko leans in and wraps Touka in her warm embrace while waiting for the ghoul to reply. Touka sighs wearily as she snakes her arms around Yoriko’s waist, inhaling her vanilla perfume. “I-I’ve been fine,” Touka mutters quietly, shyly letting her hair fall back onto her face once again. Yoriko pulls away and beams at her, and Touka can’t help but smile as well. “I’m a shitty liar, aren’t I?” Yoriko snickers and nods, and Touka flicks her forehead gently, making the other pout. “You’re so rude, Yoriko-chan.” Yoriko scoffs and sticks her tongue out at her which makes Touka crack up into a small fit of laughter. It’s not even that funny, but she feels so content. They fit together like puzzle pieces, and it feels like nothing has changed.

Suddenly, Yoriko leans in to plant a soft kiss on Touka’s cheek, and her paling face flames up to a brilliant crimson. “You’re so cute, Touka-chan. No wonder I missed you so much!” Yoriko says as she pinches the cheek she kissed. Touka wobbles a bit when Yoriko lets her go to turn around and pick up her flowers, humming with delight as she rubs a foxglove petal with her fingers. The bright pink complements her golden hair so nicely. “Touka-chan, would it be rude to ask if I could have you to myself all day?” Touka stiffens and goes wide-eyed when Yoriko turns back to her with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

Touka manages to regain some of her composure after a couple moments after her face cools down, and she scoffs when Yoriko widens her eyes and pouts her lip. “You really have no manners, Kosaka-san,” Touka taunts, leaning forward with her hands on her hips.

Yoriko tsks and tries to look extremely upset, but the corners of her mouth betray her and turn up. “Kosaka-san? You’ve never been one for formalities, Kirishima-san!” Touka bites her lip to try to keep from smiling, but she ultimately fails, and Yoriko bursts into laughter. “Can I take that as a yes, then? You know I’m not like this usually, but today’s a bit special,” Yoriko says as she wiggles her blond brows. Touka smiles as her cheeks tint pink. Yoriko cries out in joy because she knows she’s already won, and she skips ahead of Touka to flip over :re’s sign so that the word “Closed” is pressed against the glass. Touka quickly snatches her coat from behind the counter and slips it on over her dress, and Yoriko excitedly links their arms together and kisses Touka’s temple before dragging her out onto the rosy streets of Tokyo.

Yoriko always manages to turn Touka into a softie, peeling away her strong exterior to reveal a carefree and gentle girl. As Yoriko lugs her all over the city to different shops and parks while they chatter casually about the two years of their lives they didn't experience together, Touka thinks she was wrong about calling herself Yoriko’s foxglove. At least right now, she realizes Yoriko is safe and sound. If anything, Yoriko is Touka’s foxglove, but she isn’t necessarily poisoning the ghoul. She’s infecting her with joy and happiness and contentment, and Touka doesn’t mind it that Yoriko’s beautiful self is spreading over to her. She would gladly be the rabbit to Yoriko’s foxglove for as long as time allowed.


End file.
